DEI Officer, Lauren Footman, Delaware County, racial discrimination, claims, mark, woolley

by Stacy Jackson

April 2, 2024

Delaware County Terminates First DEI Officer Amid Discrimination Accusations Against Her Black Boss

DEI Officer Lauren Footman filed a complaint with the EEOC last year, accusing boss, Marc Woolley, of treating Black women employees unfairly.

Upon her return from medical leave, Delaware County’s pioneering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) officer, Lauren Footman, was terminated after leveling allegations of racial discrimination against her superior, Chief Administrative Officer Marc Woolley.

Delaware County offered Footman a 12-week severance package contingent upon withdrawing her EEOC complaint, an offer she declined, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The situation unfolded when Footman filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) last November. The 32-year-old accused Woolley, 55, of unfair treatment toward her and other Black women employees and retaliation for previously raising internal complaints.

A September 2023 report from an internal investigation conducted by lawyers from the firm Rudolph Clarke stated that although “Mr. Woolley’s status as an African-American man does not, of course, shield him from a claim of discrimination against African-American women,” the firm concluded that the Black deputy executive “does not discriminate against African-American women during the performance of his job duties.”

“We do not tolerate or support hate and are actively working to ensure our DEI office and our next DEI official will have the impact that is needed here in Delaware County,” said county spokesperson Adrienne Marofsky, who affirmed Footman’s termination was unrelated to the EEOC complaint.

Footman’s decision to file the EEOC complaint coincided with her medical leave due to anxiety and depression, which she attributed to the alleged adverse working conditions. The DEI officer, who was hired in April 2022, alleged in her EEOC complaint that Woolley favored white workers over Black employees, particularly Black women. She cited instances where Woolley allegedly arranged a County Council meeting to assist “an attractive white woman” official facing a similar issue as Footman.

Furthermore, she claimed Woolley endorsed progressive discipline for a white employee but not for a Black female employee. She also alleged that her proposal for gender-neutral bathrooms was met by a statement from Woolley, who said trans people would be directed to the bathroom he tells them.

Woolley denied Footman’s claims.

by Stacy Jackson

April 2, 2024

Christy Rutherford Says Self-Care Is A Priority For Corporate Women Who Want Higher Salaries

The leadership expert attributes the ability for her clients to double and triple their salaries within six months to prioritizing self-care.

As organizations dial back their DEI programs amid industry-wide backlash, women’s leadership expert and executive coach Christy Rutherford remains committed to her mission to help Black women receive higher salaries in the corporate world.

Her approach revolves around prioritizing self-care, a crucial factor in her clients’ ability to double and triple their salaries within six months. “The most significant change I get my clients to make…is prioritizing their self-care,” Rutherford told Black Business. “This may not be the popular opinion, but holding high-achieving women accountable to taking care of themselves is no easy feat.”

The Harvard Business School alumna emphasized that women’s actions to secure promotions often render them “unpromotable.” She explained, “Women exhaust themselves from working harder, getting multiple advanced degrees, volunteering for extra projects…When leaders look for people to promote, they overlook the tired and task-laden woman and give the role to a less qualified person who can handle more work.”

Following completing the Program for Leadership Development and three negotiation courses, the leadership coach has spoken to hundreds of clients who say they feel “overworked, underpaid, and underemployed.” However, she found common mistakes among women who seek promotions. “They want to be promoted, but don’t ask,” she said. “And when they ask, they usually say…’What do you think is fair?'”

Rutherford believes such habits will continue to result in salary disappointments for women who give their leaders the power to determine their value.

Her remarkable achievements starkly contrast to the sluggish progress made by companies in their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts despite spending approximately $7.5 billion on related initiatives. Since 2020, the leadership expert has helped her clients secure over $14 million in salary raises, including seven Black women who received seven-figure compensation packages. BLACK ENTERPRISE previously noted that the South Carolina State University alumna helped 40 women leaders see at least a 30% raise since June 2020. Additionally, 15 saw a double or triple increase in their salaries.

Rutherford revealed a goal to get 10,000 women $1 billion in salary raises by 2025.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 2, 2024

9-Year-Old Boy Crashes Into Police Car After Taking Mother’s Car To Drive To School

"Sorry! I'm just trying to get to school."

A 9-year-old boy in California took the keys to the family car and decided to drive himself to school. After leading a police officer on a brief chase, he ended up hitting his patrol car.

According to a Facebook post from the California Highway Patrol in Oroville, a police officer with the highway patrol unit saw a gray Volkswagen stopped in the middle of an intersection on March 27 at around 9:20 a.m. After the officer instructed the driver to move, the driver did just that and sped off. The officer pursued the vehicle and caught up with the Volkswagen in a parking lot near Plumas Avenue Elementary School.

After the driver stopped the vehicle, he reversed into the patrol car, causing minor damage to it.

When the police officer saw who was driving, he was shocked to see a 9-year-old boy at the wheel.

According to CBS News Sacramento, it was CHP Oroville Officer Terry Dunn who followed the vehicle. He admitted that he couldn’t see the driver. “Startled, I didn’t know at that point what was going to happen,” said Dunn.

Once he did see the driver, the 9-year-old stuck his head out the window and said, “Sorry! I’m just trying to get to school.”

Luckily, no one was injured, though the boy’s grandmother said she went into a panic when she realized he was no longer in the house. She said that his mother was in the bathroom and he was in the living room. When she came out of the bathroom, he wasn’t there, and her keys and car were missing.

“By the grace of God, [Dunn] came up to the intersection and saw my grandson in the middle of the intersection,” the boy’s grandmother expressed to CBS News Sacramento.

Officer Dunn contacted the boy’s mother and the proper authorities and allowed the boy to go to school.

B.G., Christopher Noel Dorsey, rapper, Arrested, Hot Boys

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 2, 2024

Former Hot Boys Rapper BG Released After Being Arrested For Violating Probation

'It’s crazy how after paying my debt to society with 12 and a half years of my life I come home and still ain’t free…'

Former Hot Boys member, BG, who was recently released from prison was arrested after being accused of violating his parole when he performed with fellow rappers Gucci Mane and Boosie Badazz in February.

According to NOLA, the New Orleans rapper was taken in after a U.S. District Judge in Louisiana signed off on him being charged for violating the conditions of his probation due to performing in Las Vegas with Gucci Mane and Boosie. He was arrested after hitting the stage on Feb. 8.

The rapper is supposed to obtain explicit permission from the court before “entering into self-employment.” He was instructed to find employment elsewhere by probation officers.

He also released videos in February and also needed permission to do so, but did not.

In court documents, he answered, “I’m a rapper. That (is) my profession.”

Another condition of his release is getting permission from the court to be associated with anyone who was previously convicted of any felony charges. Boosie and Gucci Mane are both convicted felons. Gucci Mane pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon back in 2014. Boosie was arrested last year in June by federal agents for allegedly possessing a gun as a felon.

BG is required to get permission from the court to associate with convicted felons and did not do so before he performed with the two recording artists in February.

The formerly incarcerated rapper just started two years of court-mandated supervised release last month on Feb. 1. He was released on his own recognizance on Wednesday, March 27 after being arrested in Las Vegas. He could be sent back to prison if the court decides to revoke his probation.

After being released, BG posted to his Instagram account.

“It’s crazy how after paying my debt to society with 12 and a half years of my life I come home and still ain’t free…
I been doing everything the right way and it seems like that ain’t enough…
I been going threw it behind the scenes and got a muzzle on for the time being but I’m confident I’ll come out on TOP…
I always do… 🙏🏾”

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Rolling Stone reported that BG was serving 12 years of a 14-year sentence when he was released last year in September. He pleaded guilty to federal weapons charges after being arrested in 2009. He and two others were stopped by police officers in New Orleans at the time. There were three guns and a loaded magazine discovered in the car, which was also reported stolen.

Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, New Jersey, book, father, blues people

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 2, 2024

Newark Mayor To Discuss Late Father’s Groundbreaking Book ‘Blues People’

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka will join with his sister to celebrate their late father's seminal book “Blues People: Negro Music in White America."

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka will join his sister, historian Kellie Jones, to celebrate their late father’s seminal book Blues People: Negro Music in White America.

In honor of renowned author and activist Amiri Baraka, Ras and Kellie will appear at Express Newark on Wednesday, April 3, to celebrate the legendary status of Blues People, Rutgers-Newark reports. Express Newark serves as the school’s center for art and design, which has been celebrating Blues People through an exhibition of the same name. Five artists and a series of events have explored the book’s themes and the issues it addresses.

The April 3 event will see Ras, the city’s mayor, and Kellie, a Columbia University professor, MacArthur “Genius” fellow, and curator sit down for a chat moderated by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Salamishah Tillet, executive director of Express Newark.

“Mayor Ras Baraka and Dr. Kellie Jones are two of the most important and incisive voices on the role that art plays in making our society more equitable and our world more just,” Tillet said.

“In their respective fields of politics and academia and their shared practice of writing and activating art in public spaces, they have kept the extraordinary vision of ‘Blues People’ alive. We have much to learn from their brilliance, and I am honored to be in a conversation with them both.”

One of 50 books Amiri Baraka wrote before his 2014 death, 1963’s Blues People was written when he went by the name LeRoi Jones. It helped create a cultural identity for Black Americans by tracing the evolution of Black music in the U.S. to how enslaved Africans became African Americans.

Supported by the Andy Warhol Foundation and Harborview Foundation, the chat will explore the legacy of Baraka’s book with a special focus on art and activism. It will also tackle the significance of blues music and how it addresses class, race, and politics.

Tai Beauchamp, Brown Girl Jane, prayerfully ordained, ABFF, Honors, moving with authority

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 2, 2024

Brown Girl Jane CBO Tai Beauchamp Talks Moving With ‘Authority’

Brown Girl Jane's CBO Tai Beauchamp shares wise words about living with "authority" in our "prayerfully God-ordained" destinies.

Brown Girl Jane’s Chief Brand Officer Tai Beauchamp was front and center at the ABFF Honors earlier this month, where she shared wise words about living with “authority” in our “prayerfully God-ordained” destinies.

Beauchamp shined bright at the American Black Film Festival’s annual awards season gala as a guest of Cadillac. Posing alongside Cadillac’s newest ultra-luxury EV, the CELESTIQ, Beauchamp eloquently tied in her rise in media and business to Cadillac’s Audacity campaign.

“Audacity is a reflection of standing in the face of fear and moving beyond it, even when other people don’t see the possibilities,” she told Rolling Out.

“It’s choosing to understand that you have a destiny that is prayerfully God-ordained that you move in with authority and without apology. Audacity is putting your foot on the gas when other people think that you need to break.”

Beauchamp has been on a roll since Brown Girl Jane received The Fifteen Percent Pledge’s inaugural Sephora Grant for $100,000 earlier this year. Created in 2019 by Malaika Jones, Beauchamp, and Nia Jones, Brown Girl Jane prides itself on its mood-enhancing fragrances made with vegan and cruelty-free products.

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The Sephora partnership helps amplify the brand and highlight Beauchamp’s work as CBO, where she oversees the company’s growth and impact in major retailers. On the media side, the award-winning TV host, producer, and serial entrepreneur continues to make an impact with her company Tai Life Media LLC, which creates lifestyle and wellness content with global brands like Cadillac.

2024 was the second year in a row Beauchamp teamed up with Cadillac at ABFF as part of her wellness series Morning Mindset with Tai. Attending the ceremony was in alignment with her entrepreneurial work in media and celebrating Black excellence in film and television.

“ABFF Honors is like a homecoming reunion. I have these moments in these spaces because I’ve operated in film, TV, media and as an entrepreneur,” she shared. “It’s a celebration of Blackness, unapologetically. And it’s also a space for us to connect so we can create future-forward possibilities and promise for the next generation.”

During this year’s ceremony, ABFF founder Jeff Friday was honored by his two sons Ellis and Edison for his pioneering work in amplifying Black creatives in the film and television space. It was a sight to see, according to Beauchamp.

“Seeing Ellis and Edison Friday on stage, giving their dad his flowers, was very powerful to me; especially seeing young Black men honor an established Black man,” she said.

“I think, when we think about flowers being shared, we often think in the feminine experience. Our Black men also deserve their flowers too.”

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J. Cole, Dreamville festival, North Carolina

by Sharelle Burt

April 2, 2024

J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival Cashes Out $145M Economic Impact For North Carolina

If you haven't experienced Dreamville Festival, now is the time!

Dreamville Festival week is kicking off positively after the 2023 Economic Impact Report revealed its total impact of over $145 million.

The Black-curated music festival, cultivated by North Carolina’s own J. Cole and his entertainment brand, Dreamville, provided 1,327 full-time jobs in numerous spaces. Throughout Wake County, home to North Carolina’s city of Raleigh, the festival brought in over $20 million for local hotels, $18 million in food and beverages, and $9 million in transportation.

The two-day event will take place at Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park. Last year, Dreamville saw a record-breaking crowd of 100,000-plus music lovers from all over the country. In addition to the lineup featuring Black music’s greatest artists like Usher, Ari Lennox, and Drake, Dreamville held the title of the world’s biggest artist-led music festival.

City executives boast about the energy and money the festival brings to the state and how excited they are about the partnership created with the Dreamville team. “Dreamville continues to be a major driver of visitor direct economic impact to our hotels, restaurants, and retailers throughout Wake County,” said Loren Gold, executive vice president of Visit Raleigh.

“There are high expectations that 2024 will continue to see 80% or more of the tickets held for the two-day festival to be from visitors from all (50) US States and (20+) international countries. A truly global event for Raleigh!”

Since the Dreamville stage was first set up, in 2018, there has been an output of support behind the scenes that is key to the event’s success. From an operational standpoint, $24.1 million was accounted for the total economic impact of the festival in 2023. The report revealed that employees in Raleigh were paid over $7.6 million in labor income thanks to Cole’s innovative festival.

Cofounder and festival President Adam Roy says watching the growth of the event has been awesome.

“Our team couldn’t be more proud to watch Dreamville Festival grow into what it has become today, although none of this success would be possible without the incredible support of our community,” Roy said.

“Thank you to Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, and, of course, our Dreamville fans worldwide.”

In anticipation of another record-breaking year, the team is gearing up for the event, scheduled for April 6 and 7.

Organizers have announced another group of food vendors, including Black-owned businesses like food trucks Caribbean Kicker and Southern Comfort Delight, and SameO DameO’s Fish & Grits.

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In addition, before hearing the sounds of headliners SZA, Nicki Minaj, and Cole World himself, attendees can view artwork from muralists and support nonprofit organizations and small businesses found all over the Tar Heel State.

by Daniel Johnson

April 2, 2024

New Study Sheds Light On The Impact Of Racism On Black Male Suicides

Study reveals alarming suicide ideation among rural Black men in Georgia.

According to a new study from the University of Georgia, one in three Black men who live in rural areas in Georgia have thought about death or suicide in the last two weeks. Their experiences with racism during childhood may play outsized roles in the pattern.

As UGA Today reported, the study illuminates that coming of age in an environment with limited resources and experiencing racism while growing up makes it difficult to have deep and fulfilling relationships with others. Feelings of mistrust and an abundance of caution towards relationships can lead to feelings of isolation, which leads to thoughts of death and suicide.

As Michael Curtis, one of the co-authors of the study, told the outlet, “I think we often don’t look at where the disparities are and who the individuals most at risk are when we’re talking about suicide ideation. We just know it’s bad, and particularly among young Black men.”

Curtis continued, “Historically, research has not invested a lot of time and effort in looking into what are the unique cultural contexts that make certain men more at risk for suicidal thoughts than other men.”

The rate of Black men who die by suicide is increasing at an alarming rate.

In the 2023 book The Invisible Ache, authors Courtney B. Vance and Dr. Robin L. Smith detailed what they believed indicated a need to change the conversation around the mental health of Black men. Smith told NPR, “[With] Black boys and Black men, the rates of suicide is increasing. The rate is accelerating faster than any other group in the country, in the United States. And so we have to ask why.”

Smith also contextualized the compilation of internalized anti-Blackness, telling NPR, “How is it that Black boys are often seen as scary and dangerous, even when they are 6 or 7 or 10? The experience that the white world has of them is their skin color and their gender, [which], put together, creates a level of fear. So that person who I’m describing, who is pathologized and demonized, can ingest that as if those lies are true and then never expose and be treated for what it has cost them to be Black and male in America.”

As it relates to the study, Curtis said that childhood experiences loomed large as the Black men they talked to entered adulthood.

“We found when Black men were exposed to childhood adversity, they may develop an internal understanding of the world as somewhere they are devalued, where they could not trust others, and they could not engage the community in a supportive way,” Curtis said. “Engaging with social support is critical for young Black men who experience many challenges to success.”

Steven Kogan, the lead author of the study, and a professor in the University of Georgia’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences, told UGA Today that one way to combat these suicidal ideations and other negative reactions to anti-Black racism is to instill self-love in Black children.

“More research is needed, but one finding is unequivocal: Loving yourself as a Black person is foundational,” Kogan said. “Teaching children and youth to be proud of being Black counters the potential for them to internalize negative messages about Blackness that pervade U.S. society.”

Margaret Ann Mcqueen, Jacksonville, Councilwoman

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

April 2, 2024

Jacksonville Beach Renames Street In Honor Of First Black City Councilwoman

Jacksonville Beach renames one of its streets to honor its first Black city councilwoman, Margaret Ann McQueen.

Jacksonville Beach is renaming one of its streets to honor its first Black city councilwomen. Margaret Ann McQueen will now be forever remembered for her place in the Florida city’s history.

A street sign for McQueen is prominently featured at the intersection of Second Ave South and Seventh Street South within the city, located about 20 miles outside of Jacksonville. Her efforts toward bettering her community simultaneously mark a stride in diversity, as reported by News4Jax.

According to Beaches Museum, McQueen was born in the area in 1940. She remained a resident of Beaches community for nearly her whole life. Upon returning to her hometown with her children in 1969, McQueen received her degree in education from the University of North Florida in 1971.

Teaching at one of the local elementary schools led her to community organizing, noticing how drugs and violence were flooding the neighborhood. Before diving into local politics directly, she lead the Jacksonville Beach Community Action Co-op to foster better relations between the city police and residents in 1989. The Co-op also worked in addressing the uptick in crime within Beaches.

Two years later, she ran for a City Council seat representing District 1. At the age of 51, the mother of four became the first ever Black member of Jacksonville Beach’s City Council. McQueen’s election occurred through newly-established district voting, where voters could choose their candidates based on their location.

She held the seat from 1991 to 1994, before taking another term in 1998. Through her tenure, she brought together the white and Black residents through volunteerism efforts. She also advocated for equal representation in local leadership.

Although McQueen died in 2013 at 73-years-old, her legacy of bringing together the community of Beaches lives on. As City Councilwoman, McQueen paved the way for more organizers to emerge as representatives for their neighborhoods. She remains a pivotal figure in the city’s history and politics.

by Daniel Johnson

April 2, 2024

Air Force Struggles To Balance Diversity And Selective Admittance

Black cadets in the Air Force only graduate at a 60% rate, as opposed to 80% for the rest of the military service branch.

The Air Force has long struggled with diversity, and it does not appear to be getting much better. Even though the percentage of Black cadets is overrepresented relative to the percentage of Black people in the American population, only 6% of Air Force officers are Black.

As Reuters reports, Black cadets in the Air Force only graduate at a 60% clip, as opposed to 80% for the rest of the military service branch. This means that Black cadets are dropping out of the Air Force, which some attribute to the Air Force’s emphasis on legacy and tradition—and the United States’ own legacy of underestimating the potential of Black Americans.

Russell Roberts, a Black former cadet in the Air Force, eventually left due to hostile treatment he received at the service branch. He told Reuters that some of the treatment he received was race-based, but stopped short of calling it racist.

“I do feel like some of it was race-related, but I don’t want to say it was racist,” he said.

In 2020, the office of the Air Force inspector general issued a report detailing the racial disparities present in the Air Force. The report set forth that Black officers were less likely to obtain promotions and that 33% of Black officers believed they were not given the same opportunities as white officers to advance their careers.

According to the inspector general’s report, “Thousands of Black service members and civilians reported issues ranging from bias to outright racial discrimination.”

However, as The Hill reported in 2023, apart from even getting into the Air Force, prospective Black and Latinx cadets are barred from entry by the military service’s entry requirements. Some of the rules have been relaxed, but the entry requirements remain highly selective, even though the service branch maintains a prep school to assist prospective cadets with entry into the academy.

Factors such as body mass index, height, educational attainment, and aptitude standards pose significant obstacles to eligibility for both enlisted personnel and officers. Health status, citizenship, criminal history, and tattoos present further challenges. For example, individuals seeking to enlist must possess a high school diploma or GED, have no more than two dependents, not be single parents, and have no felony convictions. Such criteria impact the eligibility of various gender, racial, and ethnic groups disparately, as outlined in the report.

Louis Mariano, one of the study’s authors, told Air & Space Forces that the Air Force should look at the report, which breaks down the categories in a more nuanced way, as an illustration of where it can implement strategies to increase diversity.

“If we just report on all females, we’re missing the part of the story that Black females are actually exceeding their eligible and propensed population when it comes to enlisted accessions,” Mariano said. “We miss parts of the story if we collapse that way. We built the app to do it ourselves and then we made it so that the Air Force can run it again for continual monitoring.”

In 2022, Bishop Garrison, senior adviser to the Secretary of Defense for Human Capital and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, told the Center for a New American Security, “I want people to see [diversity, equity and inclusion] as another tool in the toolkit and another way of solving these problems.”

Garrison continued, “It’s not just something that has to be done because of some type of cultural ideology or culture wars that are going on—that’s not the case at all. It is, again, not diversity for diversity’s sake.”